Game Changing Beauty Tips From Philippa Pearne: Ex Beauty editor Of Glamour

We all have our own unique habits and tricks when it comes to our beauty routine after years of trial and error on our quest to feeling fabulous. From a certain method for running the perfect bath, to the best combination of products for stopping your hair fuzzing to the max on a rainy day. However, there’s no shame in getting a little helping hand from the experts from time to time and at My Beauty Matches we jump at the opportunity to get inside the head of a beauty guru. We were lucky enough to grab five minutes with Philippa Pearne, the Ex-Beauty Editor at Glamour, to uncover the industry secrets to sorting out, well, just about everything really!

Philippa Pearne is an inspirational example of how passion can blossom into a lucrative life calling. From a young age she decided to turn her love of lifestyle magazines into a successful career, becoming a beauty writer and excelling to fulfil the role as Beauty Editor at Glamour magazine for five years. With almost ten years experience working for beauty and lifestyle magazines including Cosmopolitan and Red Philippa has interviewed the likes of Kate Winslet, Liv Tyler and Kylie Minogue as well as numerous professional makeup artists, hair stylists and industry experts. This beauty guru has been gathering the top tips and tricks to looking and feeling fabulous and we’ve convinced her to tell all! So get your pen and paper at the ready, school is in session.

Q: The changing weather is causing havoc for our skin, what are your top tips for an effective skin care routine?

A: Cold wind, freezing temperatures and central heating can cause your skin to crack and become dry so stay on top of keeping it hydrated. Try doing a quick DIY facial once a week – use a scrub to get rid of dead skin, then apply a cream to oil face mask. Leave it on for ten minutes, gently remove it with a cotton pad then apply your evening moisturiser. Hello smooth, glowy winter skin!

Don't be inconsistent with your skincare routine - find a system that works for you and stick to it. Chances are, it'll take a good few weeks to give you the results you were looking for so persevere and your skin will thank you for it.

Before leaving the house, apply a tiny bit of balm to the areas of your skin that are prone to becoming dry and cracked to protect it from the cold - I take Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream everywhere with me in case I’m caught short. You only need a little bit as applying lots will look greasy but it will create a barrier and give your skin the shot of hydration it's looking for.

Look after your lips! It’s so easy to forget that they suffer just as much as the rest of your skin in cold weather so keep a lip balm with you at all times to top up on hydration.

Q: There are so many makeup looks trending at the moment, sometimes we find it difficult to decide which looks would suit us. What are the most important lessons you’ve learnt about choosing and applying makeup?

A: Everyone has their staple look so try and base the trend you’re trying around that so that you still feel like yourself. I wear a smoky grey liner along the top of my lash line everyday but if I feel like trying a new seasonal shade, I will keep the rest of my look as it usually is and just substitute the grey liner for the new colour. This way, I get a good balance - I am on trend but I still feel like me! The key is to be comfortable and to build on what you know. The minute you feel self conscious, you know it's not the right look for you.

If you want to try a brand new look from the catwalk make sure you practice a couple of days before. That way you will be more familiar with your technique and how much product to use and less likely to make mistakes on the day. Once you’ve done a practice run, you will know which shades and textures suit you and which don’t. However don’t be afraid to experiment. Once you’ve tried something you either know you didn’t feel comfortable wearing it and can move on, or you have the confidence to try it again in the future.

Choosing the right foundation is tricky and very personal. My advice? Once you've found ‘the one’, stick with it! If you’re just starting out, try lots of different formulas and discover which ones you enjoy wearing and which ones you don’t. It’s about process of elimination and knowing what you want to get out of your foundation. For example, if you want it to be long-lasting, consider a powder. Or if radiance is key, opt for a liquid. Think about the coverage you want too – a tinted moisturiser is ideal for those wanting light coverage for example. The foundation you choose also depends on your skin type so make sure you read up on the ingredients. If you have dry skin, avoid matte formulas or powders and if you have oily skin look for the ones that say oil-free.

Q: With our hands constantly busy and our feet always hidden away in our shoes, we often forget to consider our paws and claws in our beauty routine. When caring for your hands and feet, what are the most common problems to look out for and the best fast beauty solutions?

A: You wouldn't neglect the skin on your face so utilize the same attitude to your hands and feet by using your hand and foot cream as regularly as you apply your daily facial moisturiser or body lotion. It'll only add a few more minutes onto your routine and you'll feel so much better for it. The trick of slathering on foot cream then wearing thick socks before it has soaked in is an oldie - but a goodie. Your feet will feel super smooth later and so relaxed.

Cracked heels is one of the most common foot problems. Make sure you invest in a decent foot buffer and try to use it as regularly as possible to keep your heels smooth.

Always wear gloves when using cleaning detergents at home to avoid your hands from drying out. Also, don’t stop at using hand cream - massage an oil into your cuticles every evening to keep the skin around your nails looking groomed and flake free.

Q: Can you let us in on some less well known ‘tips and tricks’ for healthy skin from head to toe?

A: Apply your sunscreen properly! It sounds silly but a lot of people aren’t aware that there are right and wrong ways to protect your skin from UV rays. Think about the amount you usually apply in one sitting – then double it. That’s how much you should be using every two hours. If you don’t enjoy applying yours, choose a different formula so that it’s less of a chore to apply regularly and opt for an alcohol-free face sunscreen to avoid stinging. Don’t forget - water resistant formulas protect you while you are in and out of the water but they still need to be applied every two hours. Also, always apply SPF on your ears, lips, eyelids and feet too – these bits can often get forgotten about and be very painful if they get burnt.

Q: We’re all guilty of occasionally neglecting our hair when we’re in a rush, but what are the three worst mistakes a person can make when it comes to hair care?

A: Forgetting to use a heat protecting spray: It forms a barrier to stop your hair getting frazzled by heated appliances. So many women I chat to confess that they don’t use one but your hair needs to be protected from such harsh temperatures otherwise it could cause colour fade, lack of shine and dry ends.

Not looking after your scalp: It's easy to forget that the skin on your scalp is as sensitive as the skin on your face or body, if not more so. Treat it to a scalp reviving treatment once a week to keep the hair follicles healthy – a happy scalp leads to happy hair!

Over-colouring: I love girls who feel confident enough to experiment with their hair colour but chopping and changing too much can really affect the condition of your hair and make it dry out. Try to space out colouring sessions so that your hair and scalp have time to adjust in between.

Q: Every time we visit the fragrances aisle we get stuck for hours, there’s so much to choose from! What are the most important things to consider when choosing a new fragrance?

A: Instinct! You know as soon as you smell something in everyday life whether you like it or not so apply this rule to choosing a fragrance. Take a few tissues with you and spritz each of them with the fragrances you're trying to choose between, remembering which is which. Try not to directly smell them until they have properly settled on the tissue, then after a few minutes smell each of them once. You'll know instantly which one is your favourite. Tip - take a handful of coffee beans to the shop with you! The aroma of lots of fragrances can all merge into one and get confusing after a while so smelling coffee beans will allow your senses to start a fresh!

Q: Last but not least, we just can't resist asking, what's your expert opinion on My Beauty Matches?

A: I love My Beauty Matches - it makes finding the best products for you really fun and super simple. Who doesn't love having their own personal beauty shopper? It's also brilliant for discovering new products and brands too.

Well we can't argue with that, so go ahead and discover your online personal shopper by taking our quick and free online questionnaire. You can find bespoke, beauty goodies perfect for trying out Philippa's expert beauty tips, what are you waiting for!